Greenhouses

As a master builder in the UK, Frank specialised in working on historic buildings such as the Royal Holloway College and many traditional private residences.   

The idea of growing plants in controlled environments has been around since Roman times.  It is said that the emperor Tiberius ate a cucumber every day and his gardeners  grew them in wheeled carts placed in the sun during the day and then brought inside at night to keep them warm.  In the 1300s the Italians created botanical gardens to show their exotic plants and soon afterwards thermal glasshouses were used to cultivate citrus fruits all year round.  

During the 19th century universities and scientific organisations built greenhouses as interest in growing and studying medicinal plants grew.   Then the Industrial Revolution made greenhouses more affordable as glass became far cheaper and no country house kitchen garden was complete without a greenhouse.